男子确诊癌症晚期，已无法手术，44岁弟弟陪诊后主动检查，也确诊癌症，术后一周便出院；医生：这类人尽早筛查

The man's brother had developed liver metastases and was no longer eligible for surgery. Doctors warned Zheng that having a first-degree relative with bowel cancer increased his own risk, but he initially paid little attention to the advice because he had no obvious symptoms.

After witnessing his brother's treatment, Zheng decided to undergo a colonoscopy at Taizhou Central Hospital. Doctors found multiple intestinal polyps and a rectal tumor occupying about three-quarters of the intestinal lumen. A biopsy confirmed it was cancerous.

Fortunately, the tumor had not spread. Zheng underwent laparoscopic surgery and was discharged about a week later after recovering well.

Liang Jianhua, a chief physician in the hospital's gastrointestinal surgery department, said the brothers' contrasting outcomes highlighted the importance of early detection.

Early-stage bowel cancer often causes no obvious symptoms, while signs such as rectal bleeding may be mistaken for hemorrhoids. Most bowel cancers develop gradually from intestinal polyps, making screening an important opportunity for early intervention.

Liang recommended that people with an average-level risk of bowel cancer begin screening around age 50. Those with a first-degree relative diagnosed with bowel cancer or adenomatous polyps should consider their first gastrointestinal endoscopy at around 40 or 10 years before the age at which their youngest affected relative was diagnosed.